It will be appreciated that the gathering, lifting, scooping, and other manipulation of loose material, such as leaves, dirt, and the like, commonly presents a tedious and time consuming task. For example, one seeking to clear leaves and the like from his or her yard surface normally must first rake or otherwise accumulate the same into a pile and then attempt to gather, lift, and deposit the loose materials into a refuse container, composting bin, or the like. The person can use his or her hands, but doing so is inefficient, messy and otherwise disadvantageous. Persons also often additionally or alternatively use a rake or shovel in combination with their hands or another implement, but doing so can be awkward, frustrating, and inefficient.
There are numerous other circumstances beyond yard work where the efficient gathering, lifting, scooping, and other manipulation of loose material represents a challenge to the person seeking to accomplish the same. For these and further reasons, it is clear that there is a need for an implement that can enable a person to gather, lift, scoop, and otherwise manipulate loose material in a convenient, efficient, and effective manner.